RAWALAKOT: Pakistan Rangers have launched a relief drive in Rawalakot, Azad Kashmir, distributing food packages to vulnerable families amid growing economic hardship in the area.
The initiative aims to provide immediate assistance to low-income and affected households struggling to meet their daily needs following recent violent protests by the banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC).
In the first phase, Pakistan Rangers distributed food packages to 100 needy families.
Officials said another 1,500 food packages, contains flour, cooking oil, sugar, pulses, milk powder, tea and other essential food items, will be distributed in phases over the coming days.
Local residents welcomed the initiative and thanked Pakistan Rangers for providing timely assistance to families in need.
Officials said the relief campaign is intended to ensure that vulnerable households in Rawalakot have access to basic food supplies while easing the burden on families facing economic hardship.
According to officials, JAAC’s violent protests disrupted normal life in the region. Protesters allegedly forced shops and markets to close, affecting daily business activities and leaving many residents, particularly low-income families, struggling to meet their basic needs.
Last month, a Rangers soldier was martyred and another was wounded while protecting civilians during a confrontation with armed members of the JAAC in Rawalakot, officials said.
According to officials, armed JAAC members opened indiscriminate fire near the New Bus Stand in the early hours of July 14. Officials alleged the attackers, armed with explosives and sophisticated weapons, sought to create chaos and falsely implicate Pakistan’s security forces.
Officials said the violence in Rawalakot demonstrated the threat posed by armed groups operating under the guise of activism. They alleged that after failing to gain public support, the group’s armed members targeted civilian areas, putting innocent lives at risk in an attempt to advance their objectives.
